Verdant Tea (Special)

THIS TEA!! It’s been far too long since I’ve had this amazing tea. It is still pouring rain here today (hooray!!) so I broke out my chai this morning for working at 7 am. I brewed this up for 2 mins and added some milk and honey and put it in my travel mug. And OMG it is still freaking delicious. Best chai ever!! Spicy yet smooth, sweet, luscious chocolate and honey, ginger, and the lovely slightly smoky flavor of the Yu Lu Yan Cha base. I doubt this chai will ever be beat (in my opinion). Yummy and warming! See previous notes on this tea!

Hooray, another tea time that I knew exactly what I wanted to have! I read Veronicas note on the base tea for this one and decided I am having this chai this morning. I was originally going to try frothing it up with coconut milk, but decided to do a stovetop with coconut milk and honey instead. I added far too much honey though, so it’s super sweet lol, but the chai still shines through. Shows just how bold and wonderful this tea is! The coconut milk is pretty much drowned out by the honey and tea, I did only use 1/3 of a cup, so that could be it as well. Nonetheless, a cozy and bold morning cup accompanying my toast on this grey Sunday morning. Also, I don’t drink this tea nearly enough due to it being so bold and caffeinated, but still not dropping the rating. Because every time I do have it, I remember how amazing it is. :D see previous notes on this tea!

Mmmmm, first cup of the day. So tasty, I used a bit less leaf and it’s not quite as strong today, steeped 2 minutes in my giant mug. Warming, cozy, awesome. I just love this tea. I don’t drink it too often as there is quite a caffeine punch I find lol. Almost finished up my BOMC bag, and will soon start on my 2 oz bag haha :D Happy Sunday! See previous notes on this tea!

I’m breaking my caffeine hiatus tonight, today was just too much for me to continue it. Thank goodness for good tea tonight! This tea is also very appropriate for the weather this week, – 20C with wind chill making it like – 37…So cold! I made this western style in my giant mug with honey… Absolutely perfect. So happy I have 2 more oz of this on the way! This tea might get its rating bumped to 100 yet haha, definitely one of the best I’ve had. See previous notes on this amazing tea!

This tea just completely floors me, makes my day :D I made it stove top today, simmered 5 minutes, strained, and then added in some honey (probably 2 tsps) and 1/3 cup of milk, and brought to a simmer again. The result is AMAZINGGG (insert Archer reference here haha). I burned my tongue on the first sip in my haste to try the wonderful concoction, but now that it is cooling, man oh man, rich, bold, sweet potatoes, honey, spice, ginger, and most of all, YU LU YAN CHA. Such a wonderful black tea!! Ah. This is just so good. I just facebooked Verdant thanking them for such a wonderful blend, and that I hope it becomes available on the site! It’s just so darn bold and flavorful and perfectly melded. Yes, I think this is my favorite chai, even more than the village chai. I have decided. I don’t want to run out of this tea! See previous notes for Western brewing :) oh and increasing rating.

First blend in trying from the BOMC November box! I was super excited to try this one after reading Bonnie’s review, and yu lu yan cha is one of my favorite verdant black teas, oh and I love chais with ginger. Basically, this sounded perfect.

The dry smell is a blast of spices! I googled what the heck fo-ti root was, interesting, so many interesting ingredients in these blends! So yes, it smells really spicy dry, with a hint of yu lu sweet potato scent too. I brewed for 2 mind with boiling water. The steeped smell is mostly the black base, I love it! The spice smell has mellowed to compliment the base in a lovely way.

As for the taste, yes. This is soooo good! The base truly shines, this is a chai where the base tea is the star, and the spices mingle around to create a spicy, warm backdrop. So much good in this!! It is a bit reminiscent of the LB village chai, but way different at the same time. The different teams base really does make the difference, this one is spice and pow and awesome, LB is more relaxed and cozy and chocolate. I love both, but it might love this one a tad more. Yes. Man those sweet potato notes with the spices….. Amazing. I aspire to blend my homemade chai as wonderful as a tea like this, but I think that may be unreasonable. This is a winner. Please please Verdant, put this one on the Site!!! rating… 95. Might increase later. I’ll rate it properly when I’m on the computer! Excellent tea!!

Another of this months Blend Club selections!

So far, this month has been spectacular! The Chai is my favorite ever by anyone and the herbal was excellent!

This Genmaicha I had some trouble with. Don’t know if it’s my own tastebuds or the blend.

The aroma is spot on wonderful! Rice, Oolong, Cinnamon! Smells great!

When I brewed the tea, all I could taste was Oolong. No spice or rice.
I do enjoy the Oolong, but I couldn’t taste the blend not even the carob (go figure that). The tea tasted like a light roast Oolong, the carob blending into the roasted characteristic along with the slight spiced cinnamon (which can also meld into the Oolong, Rice too…just poof gone).

Ah…

The adventure is ahead next month! Love the creativity of blends!

I often take my time before reviewing tea’s. This one was fun!

I made a pot of tea yesterday, using a little extra leaf and 2 minute steep. I love the idea of mulling spice…and knew that without tea in the mix, there would be no bitterness steeping a little longer.

First I tasted my brew straight and was excited at the strength of the elderberry, coriander and other spices. (Would have hated a tulsi dominant blend)
I drank a cup…ok…done.

Now the next test.

I added honey!

Light as a feather, dancing around like a sugarplum fairy…grandma Bonnie became a thing of cartoon’s…ah…honey in a mulling blend is delightfull in the Fall! This was meant to be!

I finished the first pot with another mug and honey, smiling.

One more test to go, I began again.

Heating 8oz of organic apple juice (the kind with stuff in the bottom) and 8oz filtered water, I steeped fresh Elderberry Herbal Blend in the half juice-half water mixture for 2 minutes.
AND IT WAS GREAT! (I did add some honey again, just a little!)

Why half-half? The Apple Juice was very sweet naturally, too sweet!
Anyway…

The options are lovely…and this would be a great duo with the current Winter Ginger Blend!!! (I hope Verdant is listening!)

PS Tonight, I resteeped with a bit of malty cocoa black tea and it was D-licious! Versatility herbalism!

And another sipdown on this one tonight! I have been having a final gong fu session with this tea and sharing it with the bf. This tea truly was a wonderful one, a delicious sweet white tea that had amazing flavor. One of the best unflavored teas I’ve had to date I think, particularly in the white tea department. Tonight the notes are honey, fresh hay, a touch of nuttiness, silk, and some cream. Vanilla cream at that. This is perfect, and I am sad to see it go, but also happy we finished it off before it lost its wonderful flavor. See previous notes on this tea! Very grateful I had the chance to order this!

This is a backlog from this afternoon: My mom and great aunt came over for a visit and tea and after letting my great aunt smell various teas and telling her the different varieties I have, she said white teas are her favorite. I am also running low on white teas, so I took out this – my prized white tea. And I made 3 cups (one for each of us) Western style!! Haha, I was a bit apprehensive as it’s my fanciest white tea and didn’t know how it would turn out, but it seemed to be a success! Mom and my great aunt both steeped theirs longer than 2 minutes for more flavor as it is very delicate, but they both really enjoyed it! My great aunt said it tasted like coconut, so I am happy she found the delicious cream notes!

Overall, I came to this conclusion – yes, it’s my fanciest, most hoarded tea, but why hoard it? It’s a very good tea that I should drink and enjoy, and why not enjoy it with loved ones? I’m so happy I was able to share a prized tea with them and have a great tea experience :D it was awesome! So I now will try not to hoard teas for myself (lol that sounds selfish, oh dear), because everyone might as well experience them if they are given the opportunity! :) see previous notes on this tea!

Oh yeah, and my tea was awesome as usual – Western brewing definitely did not cut back on the flavor! Creamy, sweet, soft – a perfect white tea and a lovely afternoon with amazing people. <3

So I have had a wonderful morning doing yard work!! Cleaned out all the flowerbeds, working carefully around the plants popping up, raked the dead grass in the back, raked the garden boxes, and dug up a pail of parsnips from last fall!! So excited! I love being out in the garden, it’s so therapeutic, and it reminds me of the days when I worked in a vegetable garden picking veggies for farmer’s markets, my summer job for 4 summers in junior high/high school. So nice being outside all the time!

Alas, it became cloudy and started spitting rain, and is getting much colder out, oh and my foot cramped lol so I had to come in for lunch and some tea. What better tea to have on an early spring day such as today than this Early Spring Fuding white? This is also the fanciest tea I own, and is also very therapeutic and relaxing.

Again, a wonderful tea. Having a gaiwan session for the majority of the afternoon with this gem. I feel so privileged I was able to pick up some of this while Verdant had it in stock. Creamy, honeyed, marshmallowy and light. A soft blanket to wrap yourself in while watching the rain. That is this tea to a T. Absolutely wonderful. See previous notes!

As tonight is a special night, mine and my guy’s unofficial 4 year, I decided to open up my reserve bag of this tea. I ordered it with my boyfriend in mind too, as his favorite variety of tea is white tea, especially ones from Verdant. Oh, and he made me a lovely dinner of parmesan meatballs with spaghetti, such a good chef!

Anyways, onto the tea.

This tea is very special and very fancy. It was rather expensive, the most expensive tea I have purchased. But it is totally worth it.

I took out my gaiwan for this, I cleaned my tea spoon, and got down my special cups from Verdant, I only really use them when I use my Yixing pot as they are very small and delicate. But this is a special tea, so special treatment was required! I set the water to boil to 185 degrees. Upon opening the package, this wonderful clover scent came out at me. Clover and hay. Spring time. And the leaves are the most beautiful white tea leaves I have ever seen. Almost a bright yellow, full, not broken at all. I didn’t even use my spoon in the bag for fear of crushing the leaves, instead, I tipped some out into my gaiwan.

A quick 5 second rinse, then an 8 second steep and into the small cups, with the remainder in my double wall cup. The smell is heavenly. Spring and sweetness, dew, life. The flavor…so delicious. Pure. I got the marshmallow sweetness right off the bat. I’m assuming clover and vanilla are also there, as this is so sweet and light. Like a sugared dessert. I can picture the whipped cream imagery. The subsequent steepings are also luscious and so, so good. I have been increasing steep time by 4 seconds. The flavor is deepening, changing a bit, a deeper sweetness. I haven’t had agave syrup, so I’m not sure if it’s that yet, I’m on steeping 4. A few more to go tonight.

And my boyfriend loves it! He said it’s very sweet, but one of the best white teas he has ever had. I echo his sentiments.

This is a beautiful tea. I want to drink it on a spring day, with the rain gently falling, lilacs beginning to bloom, drops falling on the clean spring grass. Alas, it is fall here, but it is raining out, although dark and not much green left. But this tea takes me to spring. Very enjoyable, a perfect tea for this evening. I am very thankful I was able to try this tea while it is available, it truly is a perfect white tea!

Like many, I am logging this on the Steepster app! Will have to remove the rating in a moment.

I might have picked out as much fennel as I could before making this pot of tea. Perhaps I needed to steep it longer… right now it doesn’t taste like much at all, unfortunately. I mean it smells good but the flavor is bland. Maybe I need some sugar haha. Oh well, can’t love them all. It’s still a decently good drink this Friday night.

Haha I was so preoccupied with the new app I forgot to log this as a sipdown. 109!

Tonight I tried this steeped with half boiling water and half very hot apple cider, a la Bonnie’s method. I like this better than just this blend straight, although I still think there is too much fennel in it for me. Actually now that I think about it most of what I taste when made with the cider is the fennel. Hmmm, maybe I did like it better without the cider. Maybe it needs a longer steep time when using the cider. Definitely still not sure about this blend.

Hmmm, I’m not sure about this one. I like the idea of an elderberry-based herbal, but the dry leaf smells odd. It’s hard to put my finger on, I think its the fennel. Fennel in tea?

It brews up this crazy purpley-black color. I’ve never seen a tea brew up so black. Steeped, it smells sweet, tart, fruity, and spicy. It was kind of familiar, and I figured out it was mulled wine. There’s also something to the aroma that is a location-based olfactory cue… it reminds me of Montana, and I don’t know why. Weeeeird. I can also smell the similarities between this and Campfire Blend, a somewhat toasty, pastry-ish aroma that must be the coriander, carob, and cinnamon, which these blends have in common.

I used the recommended steeping parameters but was surprised at a one minute steep time. The flavor is a little weak. I expected more berry, I think. I will say that brewed it smells and tastes way better than it smells dry. Thankfully, since I have a few more sessions with this tea. It’s still an odd blend to be sure, but it’s reinforcing how cool this blends club is… I get to try experimental, odd blends that most other companies wouldn’t dream of, and get introduced to all kinds of odd ingredients. Educational and fun!

This chocolatey, roasty, spicy blend is AMAZING this morning. Simply amazing. I think this tea is even better when it’s sat for a few months. I would buy this again!

My daughter has been sick for the past two days, and this morning I woke up with a sore throat. Doh! I tried really hard not to catch it! One of the worst things about being sick is not being able to taste tea properly. I had to try this, though. I am thrilled with what came in this month’s blend package- a genmaicha, a chai, and an herbal. More on the genmaicha later (it’s good!!!). It’s not on Steepster yet and it’s hard to add new teas on my iPad. On to this chai though . I am very happy to see that cinnamon and ginger are at the top of the list of ingredients. A good chai must have copious amounts of cinnamon! Plus, I can still taste cinnamon, even with a cold.

I am so frustrated with my cold! If it tastes this good with a cold it must be amazing normally. My first sip I was a little floored- the Yu Lu Yan Cha really shines in the blend. I did 2 tsp for 2 minutes and I wouldn’t go longer on the first steep. It’s really good! That’s all I can say. :/ I will update when I can taste it with no hindrance to my taste buds!

I know i’ve had this one before, but apparently my tasting note is gone. Another tea i was drinking in an effort to try and drink my reserve club teas that I’ve been hoarding. While i don’t generally want anything to do with green oolongs, this is a relatively decent green oolong. It’s lacking that weird oolongy taste that i hate and there’s a sweetness to this that is quite delicious!

In the first steepings there were those floral notes…waiting to come out, which they did more so in the later steepings. It’s those later steepings i really didn’t like. too floral and vegetal for my tastes. If every steep tasted like the first one, i’d be golden haha. As such, I think i will pass the rest of this on to a tea friend to try out :) especially since there aren’t very many reviews of this one on steepster

Sipdown, 118. I did two steeps with the last of this one: a cold brew, and a western. So I’ve tried it all three ways, haha.

And they are all pretty much no. I think I like this less than some of the puerhs I’ve had, perhaps because I keep expecting TGY out of this and it isn’t delivering, in my opinion. Very mineral, earth, and leafy. It really does remind me of a sheng. The cold steep was crisp and refreshing but really reminded me of drinking from a creek in the woods, haha. Interesting how different this one is from the 10 year aged TGY I just had! Glad I got to try it, though.

Continuing the oolong theme…

This one surprised me. As I was steeping the first few steeps, and then tasting them, my first thought was, “are you sure this isn’t a sheng?” It had a woody, slightly earthy, slightly mineral scent and flavor, and just a sheng-yness. Must be the aging. As the steeps progressed its TGY character started coming out, with a hint of florals.

This is interesting but not my favorite because of that aging… I’m just not going to love anything that really reminds me of puerh. I’ll have to try this a couple of different ways to see how it plays out in different ways.

Before it was gone, I had to have my favorite Chai one more time and ordered 4 oz.

Most of you are buried in snow (unless you’re in the Southern Hemisphere or West Coast of the USA). It’s -6 without windchill factored in today.
I looked at my email and it said (my email has a voice) “Your Verdant Tea has been delivered.”
“Oh Boy!, I answered, I get to put on all my Winter gear and march out to the mailbox
hub to get my Yu Lu Yan Chai, but it’s worth it!”
Most of you know the drill: Socks over tights (women do this), jeans…shirt and wool vest. Coat, ear muffs, gloves and boots. Scarf and my cane.
The sky was bright enough and we haven’t had tons of snow. We’re high and dry. About 8 inches or so in the last week is the most all year so far.

I scurried out and back, giggling at the feeling of my nose hairs turning into ice crystals. (The last time I felt that feeling was Winter -20 in Fairbanks Alaska).

What a perfect time for Chai! I’ve been indoors for a week!

So I forgot what I was doing after I poured water over the leaves in my brew basket.

Yep.

I always cover my teapot with a tea cozy to keep the tea warm and forgot what I was doing. Tic tic tic…for at least 6 minutes.

The liquor was dark… and very peppery and DELICIOUS!

I LOVE THIS CHAI!

I would have bought all the Chai if I could…just for that great peppery cocoa/potato
flavor.

Hope to see this again…but if not. I’ve had a wonderful taste experience.

This Is The Best Chai I’ve Ever Tasted!

I said it and I mean it! In fact, I already called David Duckler and left him a message pleading with him to make this a regular offering and not a ‘Special one-time only Blend-Club selection’. I’m in a panic! What will happen if the ounce I have is all I’ll ever taste of this fabulous Chai. Wah!

How do I discribe the taste…oh dear.

There’s so much flavor blended so masterfully, that I have to talk about it more like food. Chai is like curry, you know right away if the spice blend is ‘eh’ or ‘yum’.
The Master Blender has woven a web of colorful spice held together by resplendant Yu Lu Yan Cha. The tea is rich, elegant and round with hints of savory cayanne. No hard edges, smooth refined flavor!

Brewed straight or with milk and honey every method is superior.

(My granddaughter arrived while I was writing this and smelled the wet leaves…“they smell like Christmas Grandma,” she said. And they do!)

Please…Verdant! Make this tea available to everyone! It’s my favorite Chai ever!

*PS*Today I took my glass teapot from home to Happy Luckys Tea House because I wanted to be sure that the chai would taste just right for sharing with Eric, Sam, Joe, Andy owner George and anyone at the bar.
‘I’ measured the leaves…and the strength was what I wanted. You could really taste the pepper and Burdick, however…for all the ingredients…it’s not easy to pick any one or two flavors out. We all think that adding at least a little honey enhanced the pepper. Eric liked it naked best. We liked the savory blended with sweet and spicy.